Hose coupler



Nov. 11, 1930. E. H. GOLD ETAL y 1,781,543

HOSE GOUPLER Filed Aug. 19. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- Nov. 11,1930. E. H. GOLD ET AL 1,781,543

HOSE COUPLER Filed Aug. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 2v i, 51 32 53 l l z n 12g. ys; 2f a i w ji .L

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Patented Nov. 11, 1930` UNITED: STAT-.'51s APATENT OFFICE'. y

EGBERT H. GOLD, or EvANsToN, AND. THOMAS HIMANCHDSTER. AND EDWARD A.

RUSSELL', or CHICAGO, rumors; sAID MANCHESTERAND SAID RUSSELL Assreivons To VAPOR CAH HEATING COMPANY, rnc., OFCHICAGQTLLINOIS, A Con-y PORATION OF NEW' YORK; MARGARET LTAYITE GOLD rAND PANY EXECUTORS OF SAIDEGBERT H. GOLD, DECEASED BVIsCAYNKE TRUST CoM- p lHose vCoUPLi-in Application mea August 19, 19.2"?.` y serial No. 214,092.`

This invention relates to hose Acouplings for connecting together the hoses or equivalent flexible metallic structures on `the train-pipes,

steam or air, of railway' oars; and the object of the invention is to provide, more particunec'tions, new and improved means for lock larly in couplings for steam train-pipe' coning together the couplers or mating members of the couplingl n n 1 It has been customary to provide couplers with locking devices of one sort or another, which are forced with Vwedging f pressure against Vthe arms of the mating couplers to hold the couplers in locked relationasagainst disengaged by pull on the hosesA when the train rounds a curve, for example.V Such positive vwedge locks are effective, .but the wedging pressure, especially as the locks are frequently driven into place by ahammer, is

- likely to injure the gaskets and also to strain or bend the coupler arms and Ymutilate the cams.

yield first in response to a bodily movement'V This invention relates to a type of wedge lock, which will yield so that injury tothe couplers and gaskets is prevented and the efficiency of the look increased nipulation made easier. f

and its Vnia- Also eachhalf. ofthe coupling is adaptedto mate Vinterchangeably with any similarA position and simultaneously wedged yield-` ingly into vengagement with the arm of a mating coupler, in Combination with an auX- iliary spring member which 1sk adaptedV to of the spring locking member,V whereby an yincreased yielding movenientof the locking member is vpermittedwithout unduly stressing the locking member itself.

the tendency to be rocked on their cams andv Another kObjectis, to provide `means for limiting the fieXureof theauxiliary spring device so that the filial yielding movement must be supplied f entirely by .the locking member itself. Y

Another object is toprovide an improved form of laminated vlocking bar, whereby increased resiliency is obtained.

Other obj ectsand advantages of this inven,- tionl will be more apparent from theifollowforms ofthe apparatus. y

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a plan viewof a hose coupler` con# structed k,in accordance with this invention,

s u l n c v Y y ing detailed descriptionof certain yapproved and shown as mated with acouplerof known construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. f A- F ig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the locking member in unlocked position, that is when not in engagementpwith a mating coupler.

Fig. 4 is a view similarto Fig.i2,ishowinglv amodification. -f n Fig. '5' is a vertical sectional detail, taken substantially Von the line 5-5`of Fig. 4.

Fig.` 6 is af view similar to Figs. 2 Aand 4, showing' still another modification.

Fig. .7, is a vertical section takensubstantiallyon the line 7 7 ofFig. 6.

Referring first to the form of the. inven tion shown in Figs. l to 3 inelusive,`a hose coupler is illustrated consisting of two mem# bers -or couplers A and'B; coupler A .being provided with the lock of the'present invent-ion :and the coupler `B being-'ahos'e coupler of known type. The Vcouplerofthis invention is designed so that it willy matewith any of the different types of so-called gravity hose couplers `now in kuse on steamv railroads in this country fori making the connection between the steam trainpipes on adj acent carsi of railroad trains couplerB' being shown as typical or illustrative of couplers of this general type, of-which there are severalY different makes., M Coupler Bconsists of a nhead 1 formed lwith the steam port 2, in which is arranged a gasket f 3,.,and with a forwardly projecting Varm 4 CTI esYV

Vprovided with an undercut lug or cam 5, and

on the other side of the head from arm 4l, with a cam lug 6. Projecting from the top of head 1 is a lug 7, in which is pivoted a locking link 8, the angularly disposed end 9 of which is adapted toengage with a lug 10 formed on the mating coupler member.

The improved coupler A comprises ahead 11 formed with a steam port 12, a gasket 13` bein@r suitably positioned in a gasket seat at the outer end of port 12. On one side of the coupler head 11 is the usual undercut lug or.

ber 21 is formed of a bar of resilient or spring metal, capable of yielding or flexing to some extent, andis preferably .provided with return bent end portions 22 and 23 which serve as heads to be engaged by a hammer or other tool infthe process` of driving the locking member'from one posit-ion to another. The locking bar 21 is intermediately pivoted to swing in a substantially horizontal plane on the downwardly projecting reduced'end portio'n2l. ofbolt 25 which is screwed into the cross member 2().of the bracket. The aperture 26-in the locking bar 21 is of a slightly greater diameter thanthe reduced end portion 211 of bolt 25, so that the locking bar can pivot and swivel to someextent on this stud 24, and also move bodily Alongitudinally `of kthe stud, `as hereinafter explained. However, the main upper portion of bolt 25 is of sul'lii ciently greater diameter` than the aperture 26 to providey an annu-lar shoulder27 at the upper end ofreduced portion 24, which acts as an abutment or Vfulcrum for the' locking bar 21, thus limiting upward movement of the locking bar. An `arcuate `cam Vor wedge surface V28 is formed on the upper face of` head 11, concentricwith the pivot pin or stud 24. When the locking bar 21 is rotated to locking position, the end 23 of the bar will ride up over thecam or wedge surface 28,

- thereby tilting the-bar, so as to force the end 22 downwardly'into firmer engagement with the arm` lof the mating coupler. y l

-A coiled spring 29 surrounds the bolt 25 `aud abuts at, its respective ends against the .under surface/of the cross member 20 of the bracket, `and the .upperV surface of locking bar 21. Althoughthis spring 29 -is fairly stiff, itv ismore 'resilientthan the locking bar 21, so that practically all of the initial-yield-V ing movement will be taken up by the coiled spring 29.

When the coupler A is disengaged from a mating coupler, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring 29 will expand and move the locking bar 21 bodily downward along the stud 24 into engagement with the upper surface of head 11. This will take up all looseness in the parts and prevent the locking bar from rattling. "When the locking bar is swung counter-elockwise to unlocked position, (as indicatedV in dotted linesV inFig. 1) the coupler A may be connect'ed with a mating coupler, such as B, by vertically swinging their respective arms and cams into engagement in the usual manner.

V'ilhe locking bar 21 will then be swung clock wise from its dotted line position to the solid line position, shown 1n Fig. 1, thus swinging the end 22V outwardly over and into engage ment with the arm et of the mating coupler,` and simultaneously moving the end v23 up the.

wedge surface 28. The movement of ,end 23 up the wedge surface28 will tilt the lockw ing bar 21 so as to force the end 22 downwardly against the arnill. The first effect of this movement will be to take up any looseness .in the engaging parts, and force the arm l firmly into engagement with the cam le( llhen this has been accomplished, the spring 29 will yield,permitting the central fulcrum portion of locking bar 21 to move upwardly until it engages with the shoulder 2?, which limits further fiexure of coiled spring 29. lFurther movement of the locking bar 21 .along the arm d and up the wedge surface 28 can only be accomplished by a yielding or flekure of the locking bar 2l itself, as indicated in Fig. 2. JV hen the locking bar is driven into this :final locking position, it willbe placed under sufficient strain to lockall of the parts securely in place.

lt will be apparent that the combined rcsiliency of the spring 29 and of theplocking bar 21 provide-a considerable range of vertical positions of the end 22 of the locking bar, in which this bar will be effective to securely hold the coupling members in locked positions. it the same time, there is no danger of breaking or unduly straining any of the engaging parts.

VIn the modifications shown in Figs. a and 5, a bowed leaf spring 30 is substituted for the coiledspring 29, previously described. The central portion 31 of this Spring is apertured to surround the bolt and is bowed upwardly to engage the under surface of the cross member 20 ofthe bracket. The end portions 82 of the leaf spring are bowed downwardly to engage theupper surface of locking bar 21, and are preferably provided with side flanges 33 to slidably engage the respective edges of the locking bar 21 and hold the leaf spring in properly centered position. Except forthe diderence inthe form of the auxiliaryy spring used,-this lmodification opv erates exactly the same as the preferred form shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, and hereinabove described in detail. i

By forming the locking vbar of a plurality of laminations of spring metal, as indicated at 34 in Figs. 6 and 7 the total flexibility of the locking member can be considerably increased. While the locking bar 2l shown in either of the modications previously described could be laminated in this manner, we have shown in Figs. 6 and 7 by way of example, a variation of the modification shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the side flanges or clips 35 at the ends of the leaf spring 30 are extended around the under surface of the locking bar, so as to hold the laminations 34 in assembled relation. If desired, separate clips for this purpose could be added, and such clips vwould usually be necessary when a coiled spring of the type shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3' is used. The laminated locking bar `34 will have a greater resiliency or range of flexibility than the bar 2l shown in the first described modifications, and thus increase the ,f range through which the locking device can yield in order to meet various operating conditions.

W'e claim: .l l. .In combination with a hose coupler comprising a head and a projecting arm adapted to engage respectively with the arm and head of a mating coupler, a lockingdevice supported on the head 'and adapted'to yieldingly engage the arm of a mating coupler, said device comprising a spring locking bar, a separate spring member of greater flexibility than the locking bar and positioned to be` means for limiting the iexure of the spring member.

3. A hose coupler comprising a head provided with a wedge surface and a projecting arm, the head and arm having means adapted to engage with the arm and head respectively of a mating coupler, a bracket on the head,

ya yieldable locking member intermediately pivoted in the bracket and adapted when ro-` tated to locking position to yieldingly engage at its respective ends with the wedgeV surface and the arm of the mating coupler, an auxiliary spring interposed between the `locking member and the bracket, and means for limiting the flexure ofthis spring.`

4. A hose coupler comprising a head provided with a wedge surface and a projecting j arm, the head and arm having means adapted to engage with the arm and head respectively of a mating coupler, a bracket on the head, a vertical pivot stud mounted in the bracket, a yieldable locking member intermediately pivoted on the stud and vertically movable thereon, the locking member being adapted when rotated to locking position to yieldingly engage at its respective ends with the wedge surface and the arm of a mating coupler, a spring interposed between thel locking member and the lbracket and resistingvertical movement `o-f the member along the stud, and means on the stud for limiting this vertical movement of the locking member.

5. A hose coupler comprising a head provided with a wedge surface and a projecting arm, the head and arm having means adapted to engage with the arm and head respectively of a mating coupler, a bracket on the head, a vertical pivot stud mounted in the bracket, a yieldable locking member intermediately pivoted on the stud and vertically movable thereon, the .locking member being adapted when rotated to locking position to yieldv ingly engage at its respective ends with the wedge surface and the arm of a mating coupler, and a coiled spring surrounding the stud and interposed between the locking member and the bracket, and means for limiting the verticalV movement of the locking member f and the compression of the coiled spring.

6. A hose coupler comprising a head pro` vided with a wedge surface and a projecting arm, the head and arm having means adapted to engage-with the arm and head respectively of a mating coupler, a bracket on the head, a vertical pivot stud mounted on the bracket, the lower portion of said studbeing of smaller diameter than the upper portion, a yieldable locking member intermediately pivoted for swinging and tilting movement on the lower portion of the stud andvertically movable i 

